FIG. 14 of this specification shows an electrical connector as shown in JP-2-148583. This connector comprises an outer member 101, and two inner members 102 which are housed within the outer member 101. The anterior portion 104 of the outer member 101 is tubular, and terminal housing chambers 103 are formed on the upper posterior side of portion 104 in order to house pressure contact terminal fittings (not shown). The two inner members 102 can be housed within the portion 104, and fitting holes 106 are formed on side walls in order to support and maintain the inner members 102, by engagement with protrusions 107.
Terminal housing chambers 103, capable of housing terminal fittings, are formed also on the inner members 102. Locking protrusions 108 protrude from the posterior ends of the two side walls of the inner members 102.
In addition to the members 101 and 102, the connector is provided with a locking member 105 which fits with the locking protrusions 108 and supports the connection of the members 101 and 102. Locking holes 109 are formed on this locking member 105, these fitting together with the locking protrusions 108 of the two inner members 102 and the outer member 101.
When the connector, configured as described above, is assembled, the terminal fittings are first housed within each terminal housing chamber 103. Next, the inner members 102 are inserted into the attachment member 104. This causes the fitting holes 106 to fit together with the fitting protrusions 107, which fixes the position of the anterior ends of the inner members 102 in an up-own and anterior-posterior direction. Next, the locking member 105 is attached from above the outer member 101, this causing the locking holes 109 and the locking protrusions 108 to fit together. This strengthens the connecting force between the two members 101 and 102, and fixes the position of the posterior ends of the inner members 102 in an up-down and anterior-posterior direction. Two sets of fitting holes 106 are provided to give temporary and final fitting positions of the inner members 102.
It is possible for the inner members 102 to be inserted in an inverted state. In such a situation, the opening of the terminal housing chambers 103 faces the wrong direction, and the pressure connection of wires to the terminals cannot be performed. Consequently, the connector which has already been assembled must be separated, and the inner members 102 re-inserted correctly. This is a troublesome operation.
The present invention has been developed after taking the above problem into consideration, and aims to present a pressure contact connector in which the inner members cannot be inserted upside-down, and in which operability is improved.